Do you dream in LEGO? Are you always creating new masterpieces? Is the dreaded LEGO-meets-bare-foot a perfectly acceptable trade-off in your household because of all of the cool creations you can make? Then you must join us for the 9th Annual LEGO contest on Thursday, August 7. Start imagining and building now!

AADL's LEGO Contest is one of the most anxiously awaited programs of the summer, open to all ages. The contest is divided up into five categories: Preschool, Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 & Adult. All contestants must submit an original creation made of their own LEGO, Duplo, Mega Blocks, or other stacking bricks. Full contest rules can be found here.

Need some inspiration, or do you just want to see some of the awesome creations engineered in the past? Here are some photos from last year.

Because of the popularity of this contest, it will be held at Kensington Court, 610 Hilton Dr. in Ann Arbor. Below is the order of events:

If you got:
1 correct: You need to study up. Try stopping by the Awards Celebration and then try again!
2-4 correct: Nice! It sounds like you missed a couple things, but you can make up for that by coming to the Awards Celebration in person!
5 correct: Superstar! Show off your amazing quiz-taking skills by coming to the Awards Celebration!

Kelly ‘K.A.’ Barson published her first novel, 45 Pounds (More or Less) in July 2013. She has always loved reading and writing, and even teaches writing at Spring Arbor University. According to Me, My Shelf, and I, Barson loves spearmint Chapstick, wears sweatpants while writing, and likes to dye her hair all different colors. She is also a local author hailing from Jackson, MI!

If you’re near the Downtown branch this Saturday, May 10, be sure to stop by the “It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony! Barson will discuss her thoughts on writing, sign copies of her book, and award the top nine writers of the contest!

Are you ready to hear about the last author to round out the entire team of this year’s judges? Introducing: Ben Stroud!

Ben Stroud recently published his first book, Byzantium, in 2013. He is best known for writing literary short stories, as featured in several anthologies, Harper’s Magazine, Boston Review, and The Literary Review. He has lived in Texas and Ann Arbor, and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Toledo. In an interview with One Story, he gave the following advice to other writers: “There’s so much we can’t control as writers, no matter what stage we’re at…We can sit down, we can work, we can write our stories. If we remember that, and remember why we started doing this in the first place—not for all those other things but for that magical feeling of stringing words together into a story—then the rest will take care of itself.”

Calling all writers in 3rd-5th grade, today (Monday, May 5) is your last day to submit a story to the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge! Please make sure you have checked the guidelines, and then either send it by email to youngwrite@aadl.org or drop off a paper copy at the Youth desk Downtown. The story submission mailbox will be closed at midnight tonight. Happy writing!

If you think you've already made up your mind, just think of how bored you will be without this challenge. After doing a poll* of kids in the United States, kids report they did the following things instead of entering the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge:

1. Twiddled their thumbs
2. Stared at the ceiling
3. Ate that gross thing on the floor
4. Flipped a pencil so it became "rubber"
5. Sang car alarm sounds
6. Tried to lick their elbows

But think of all the incredible reasons to enter the SUPER AMAZING SHORT STORY CHALLENGE for which you could possibly receive an INSANELY COOL PRIZE! Here are the top six reasons you should enter the Short Story Challenge**:

1. Writing is fun!
2. You have an entire six days! That's almost a whole week.
3. At the awards celebration you can meet a real professional author!
4. The awards celebration will also have cookies.
5. If you give permission, your story could be published on the AADL website!
6. You could win one of 6 AWESOME prizes!

If you're working on a story for the 3rd-5th Grade Short Story Challenge and need some writing inspiration, be sure to check out Little Red Writing by Joan Holub and Melissa Sweet! Inside you will find vibrant illustrations depicting the adventures of Little Red, a pencil who needs to write a story for class. The teacher, Ms. 2, shows what elements make up a great story and Little Red's classmates share their ideas. Each page explains a different part of speech and how you can make it work in your story. Little Red's adventure is hilarious and exciting. Whether you read this book by yourself or with friends, it's sure to spark creativity for story writing!

Sandra Neil Wallace is a true-blue nature lover: when asked what literary world she’d like to live in, she responds with “Little House on the Prairie.” Wallace grew up on a farm surrounded by horses and rabbits, and still finds great solace in taking long walks in the wilderness. Before becoming a writer for kids and teens, Wallace worked as a sports journalist covering the NHL and NBA. Now she writes full time, and loves to hear from her readers and aspiring writers.

Wallace is best known for her teen novel, Muckers, based on the true story of a high school football team in Arizona. “Muckers” was named a Booklist “Bookends” Best Book of 2013. She also just released “Babe Conquers the World”, a biography about a determined woman entering the world of sports, which she coauthored with her husband, Rich Wallace.

To learn more about Sandra Neil Wallace, visit her website. Stay tuned for the rest of the “It’s All Write!” judges in forthcoming blog posts!

Featured Events

Teens, the Law, and Juvenile Justice

Impulsive behaviors can get teens in trouble with the law. Michael Kelly, Criminal Defense and Family Law Attorney, will discuss how to best avoid this trouble and what to do if youth need help. Kelly will especially highlight issues pertaining to youth with ADHD at 7 pm on Wednesday March 11 in the Downtown Library’s Multi-Purpose room. There will be plenty of time for questions from the audience. This event is cosponsored by Children and Adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) of Washtenaw County.

Get your money out of that mattress and get it working for you with the help of Value Line! Value Line has extensive financial and statistical data from independent analysts as well as the Value Line Investment Survey, featuring advice on approximately 1,700 stocks in 97 industries. You can also look through recent news and analysis, educational tools, and information on building an investment portfolio.